This summer, well ahead of Sabaton’s new album release, Metal Express Radio caught up with a very enthusiastic drummer, Hannes Van Dahl, in the middle of the preparation for the Legendary Tour, coming over Europe this autumn. Read on if you want to know more about the album Legends, its concept and the upcoming tour.
Metal Express Radio: On October 17, Sabaton will release Legends, their 11th full-length studio album, not including the orchestral versions. After focusing on stories of the First World War on the last two albums, you’re now back to a collection of stories spanning from antiquity to the modern day, all across the globe, and focusing on specific figures such as Hannibal Barca, Julius Caesar and Jeanne d’Arc. What sparked this decision?
Hannes Van Dahl: Well, first of all, thank you for having me. I am happy to be doing interviews for a new album again. I’m a bit rusty, so bear with me. It’s been a couple of years since we released an album, and I’m really excited – maybe even overexcited! I think it was a natural progression for the band. For this 11th album, now that we’ve done two conceptual albums about World War I, where we only scratched the surface of topics that you could potentially sing about, we thought that it was time to do something else and go way further back in time. I think everybody felt very excited about it, to be honest. The topic of Legends felt very fitting.
MER: How did you select the historical figures featured on the album Legends?
Hannes: It was very tricky to find which topics and which stories to talk about. At some point, you have to leave some out even if you want to talk about all of them. In the end, we boiled it down and agreed on the ones present in the album, with a few unexpected ones and some others you could have expected. I think it’s the start of a new era for the band and a new chapter.
MER: How did you achieve inner coherence in an album that takes listeners on a journey through centuries and across the world? How did you develop the musical identity associated with each of these legendary figures?
Hannes: I think in this band, 9 times out of 10, the music comes first. First, the music is written and more or less finalised. Then we fit the topic to the specific song, which is another tricky process. But you have to make sure that the stories and the music fit, that the music does the topic justice. It’s not an easy process, but it’s very fun and creative. For a song like “Templars”, the music needs to have a specific vibe. You need to do it right because you only write about a topic once, and that’s your chance to make it right. You need to try to make it as good as you can.
MER: How did you divide the tasks and make decisions when creating the album, given that all of the band members took part?
Hannes: It was not a conscious decision. The process did not change much from the other recordings and writing sessions. The whole creative process of making a Sabaton album has always been very open. It’s always been a very, very creative process that everybody’s welcome to join. It was cool that everybody actually wrote songs on the album.
MER: Some of the songs are about figures who have a somewhat controversial legacy. Take Napoleon, for example. I noticed that it’s the only song where the lyrics use the first-person pronoun ‘I’ instead of the third-person narrator used in the other songs. What was the idea behind this change in narration?
Hannes: I don’t know, but I will have to ask the guys myself because I find it to be very interesting. I did not even think about it before you mentioned it.
MER: Regarding the song “I, Emperor”, it has a traditional sound. Did you draw inspiration from songs of the era when creating the melody and riff?
Hannes: Well, I did not write this song myself, so I don’t really know. But I totally get what you mean. It is a very marching-like type of song.
MER: Musically speaking, when I listened to the album, I got the feeling that it contained some elements reminiscent of your older records, such as Heroes or Coat of Arms. Since you celebrated the 25th anniversary of the band last year, was it intentional to release something with this old-school vibe?
Hannes: This is so great to hear, because speaking with you now, months before the album release, it’s kind of the first outside feedback we get about this new album. It’s great to hear how different people will think of things. And like I said earlier, it’s a very dynamic process. We just get into the vibe and then we add some elements, try some ideas and all of a sudden that’s the song! It comes alive! There’s not too much thinking about it. But it’s interesting to hear you felt this old-style vibe.
MER: You have chosen the term “legends” for this album, which refers to both historical facts and something a little unreal, in the realm of fantasy. How did you combine these elements in the songs? For you, how does a historical figure become a legend?
Hannes: With modern history, we know exactly how things happen. There are exact times, exact locations. Sometimes, there’s even video footage, photographs. We have even met people from actual events that we sing about. But far back in time, we did a song about “Sparta” and for this, we don’t know what’s history or what’s myth. I think in there we have to use some of our own imagination because it is legendary. Do we know exactly what happened? No, it’s hard to tell, but that’s what also sparks creativity. It’s still tricky because so many movies and books coloured our thoughts and interpretation of events. Still, I hope we did these legends justice and that this album is as good as possible.
MER: Your previous tours have featured incredible staging, settings, pyrotechnics and actors…. What can fans expect from the new tour, which is going to take place shortly after the album is released?
Hannes: The people who saw the tour to end all tours, either in person or on screen, all saw what a big thing it was and how much effort was put into it. I can assure you that the Legendary tour will be a very unique Sabaton evening. It will be nothing short of what we’ve done before for sure. But more than that, I cannot tell you at the moment. There’s already been countless hours put into it. For the album, it’s what I’ve been doing for so long as a musician: we record it, we master it, and then we can’t wait to show people. It’s a bit the same now with the tour, I can’t wait to do it and show it to the world.
MER: As with your previous albums, this one features many songs about French historical figures or war events that took place in France. What is it like to play a song that has a special connection with the audience? For example, the last time you played in Paris, you performed “The First Soldier”.
Hannes: Nervous! That’s my first answer! When we did “The First Soldier”, we only played that once, so we’d better not mess up! It also keeps you on edge; you have to be on your toes. It’s not like “Primo Victoria” that we played a thousand times. Playing a song like “The First Soldier” like that, on the spot in the country where it happened, it’s very special: first nervous, then excitement and when it works, it’s amazing!
MER: You have worked with museums, released documentaries and films, and sponsored historical renovations. Is there anything else you would like to do as a band that relates to history and education? All of this is rather unusual for a metal band. What have you gained from these collaborations?
Hannes: I think in this band, nothing ever stands still. Things are always moving. And if it’s not moving over here, it’s moving over there. We always have some new exciting things, but right now I can’t talk about them. But I’m super excited to show everyone what’s next. I have gained a lot from this, I think. Not to mention the privilege to go and see all these places and to be able to travel the world and to visit museums and meet people working there, from Japan to Norway. So to be able to do that for a living has been extremely unusual and special.
MER: You have also released an orchestral version of your previous album, The War to End All Wars, and you have now announced that “The Legendary Orchestra” will be the opening band on your next tour. How did this project come about?
Hannes: Well, it’s another thing I don’t want to and can’t reveal too much about. To be honest, I think that we wanted to do something quite unusual. And instead of a traditional heavy metal package that we usually have, I think that we did indeed create a very unique Sabaton evening, which is truer to our spirit than ever before. You’ll have to wait for the first show to kick off, and then we’ll see what people think about it, but I wouldn’t miss that for sure.
MER: Was this orchestral dimension inspired by your collaboration on stage with Apocalyptica in 2019?
Hannes: They have been around for a long time, and they are good friends of ours. It was a super collaboration to do. To play with, to bring in musicians outside of the band, it’s always very exciting because you have to play and think differently. Apocalyptica bring a ton of creative input, and they are so skilled in what they do. For me, it was one of the most enjoyable tours to do.
MER: On this tour, you are playing bigger venues than ever. For example, in Paris, you are moving from the Zenith to the Accor Arena. How do you adapt your shows to this change?
Hannes: Touring in general, you need to have a production that’s a bit like a rubber band. It needs to be built in a way that you can scale it up or down depending on the day. Venues are different all over the place. Sometimes, you need to remove a wall there or turn things around. You always have to adapt. Luckily, we have a very professional crew that’s been with us for many years. Scaling up is what we want to do, and I think that’s what we’re about to do as well.
MER: What is your biggest challenge in preparing for this tour?
Hannes: My new drum kit! I got a lot of boxes just a few days ago, and I’m very much looking forward to setting that up. And there’s no bigger challenge than to perform at the highest possible level I can. That’s what I want to do, I want to get out there and kick some ass, you know. So it means a lot of boring answers: a lot of running and drinking water. But I can’t wait, I wish it were November tomorrow.
MER: What are you most proud of about this new album, and what songs are you looking forward to playing live?
Hannes: Legends is a very fitting topic for a Heavy Metal album. I think there’s so much to pick from, and there’s a lot of openness for interpretation. I’m most proud of the result. The whole mix and master of this album turned out great. We worked with Jonas Kjellgren once again. I think he was really into the process this time. And I think the result is a killer-sounding album, honestly. For my favourite song to play live, it will change from week to week. I try not to listen to it too much after the master is done. I leave it alone for a bit because I also want to enjoy the album without thinking about it in terms of work. So I leave it alone for a few months and bring it back up for rehearsals. But right now, I think my favourite would be “Tigers Amons Dragons”. But if you ask me tomorrow, it might change!
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